The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (the Act) describes a scope of practice as the health service that a practitioner registered in that scope of practice is permitted to perform, subject to any conditions for the time being imposed by the responsible authority.

The Council publishes a scope of practice as a Notice in the New Zealand Gazette under section 11 of the Act.

General dental practice

The scope of practice for general dental practice is the practice of dentistry as set out in the documented “Detailed Scope of Practice for General Dental Practice” produced and published from time to time by the Dental Council.

It involves the maintenance of health through the assessment, diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of any disease, disorder or condition of the orofacial complex and associated structures within the scope of the practitioner’s approved education, training and competence.

Detailed scope of practice for general dental practice

The Dental Council of New Zealand defines the practice of dentistry as the maintenance of health through the assessment, diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of any disease, disorder or condition of the orofacial complex and associated structures within the scope of the practitioner’s approved education, training and competence.

This involves:

diagnosing orofacial conditions and providing appropriate information to patients of diagnosis, treatment or management options and their consequences

removing tooth tissue and/or placing materials for either the temporary or permanent restoration or replacement of tooth structure, or the rehabilitation of the dentition

performing procedures on the orofacial complex, teeth, and the hard and soft tissues surrounding or supporting the teeth

extracting teeth

administering local analgesia and/or sedative drugs in connection with procedures on the teeth, the jaws and the soft tissues surrounding or supporting the teeth

prescribing medicines appropriate to the scope of practice, the sale or supply of which is restricted by law to prescription by designated health practitioners

prescribing special tests in the course of dental treatment

using ionising radiation, for diagnostic purposes, in the course of the practice of dentistry

performing procedures on any person to prepare for or carry out the construction, fitting, adjustment, repair, or renewal of artificial dentures or restorative or corrective dental appliances.

Practice in this context goes wider than clinical dentistry to include teaching, research, and management, given that such roles influence clinical practice and public safety.

Areas of dental practice which were not included in a practitioner’s training should not be undertaken unless the practitioner has since completed appropriate training, and practises to the standards required by the relevant Practice Standards.

Endodontic specialists

Endodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the morphology and pathology of the pulpo-dentine complex and periradicular tissues. Its study and practice encompasses the basic clinical sciences including the biology of the normal pulp, and the aetiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries to the pulp and associated periradicular tissues.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery specialists

Oral and maxillofacial surgery specialists practise in that part of surgery which deals with the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects of the human jaws and associated structures.

Oral medicine specialists

Oral medicine specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the oral health care of patients with chronic and medically related disorders of the oral and maxillofacial region, and with their diagnosis and non-surgical management.

Orthodontic specialists

Orthodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the supervision, guidance and correction of the growing and mature dentofacial structures and includes the diagnoses, prevention, interception and treatment of all forms of malocclusion of the teeth and associated alterations in their surrounding structures.

Paediatric dentistry specialists

Paediatric dentistry specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with oral health care for children from birth through to adolescence. It includes management of orofacial problems related to medical, behavioural, physical or developmental disabilities. It may include management of adults with special needs.

Periodontic specialists

Periodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases or abnormalities of the supporting tissues of the teeth or their substitutes.

Prosthodontic specialists

Prosthodontic specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of patients with a range of clinical conditions involving missing or deficient teeth and/or craniofacial tissues, using biocompatible substitutes.

Public health dentistry (or community dentistry) specialists

Dental public health (community) specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the science and art of preventing oral disease, promoting oral health and improving the quality of life through the organised efforts of society.

(NB Existing specialists may apply to the Council to retain the previous title if they wish.)

Restorative dentistry specialists

Restorative dentistry specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with dental procedures in the dentulous or partially edentulous mouth. This may include operative, endodontic, periodontic, orthodontic and prosthetic procedures.

Please note: Restorative Dentistry as a scope of practice is no longer available to new registrants. Only those practitioners who were registered in the scope on 18 September 2004 may practice in this scope.

Special needs dentistry specialists

Special needs dentistry specialists practise in the branch of dentistry that is concerned with the oral health care of people adversely affected by intellectual disability, medical, physical or psychiatric issues.

(NB Special needs specialists who wish to identify their particular expertise in hospital dentistry can apply to Dental Council to use the specialist title “Special needs dentistry (hospital)”.)